Anyone who knows Eric knows that he writes about a little bit of everything, whether it's taking a trip down memory lane, or praising and/or criticizing something or someone.

Death list

About this blog

By Eric Bergeson

Since 1997, Eric has owned and operated Bergeson Nursery, rural Fertile, MN, a business his grandfather started in 1937. With the active participation of his parents, who owned the business for the previous twenty five years, and his younger brother
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Since 1997, Eric has owned and operated Bergeson Nursery, rural Fertile, MN, a business his grandfather started in 1937. With the active participation of his parents, who owned the business for the previous twenty five years, and his younger brother Joe, who is now president of the company, the business has nearly tripled in size during Ericís ownership tenure.
The holder of a Master of Arts in History from the University of North Dakota, Eric has taught courses in history and political science at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He is also an adjunct lecturer in history for Hamline University, St. Paul, MN.
Ericís hobbies include Minnesota Twins baseball, Bach organ music, bookstores, hiking, photography, singing old country music with his brother Joe, and watching the wildlife on the swamp in front of his house eight miles outside of Fertile, Minn.

Called Aunt Olive two days ago, and I later found out that in response to her rough night of heart problems last week, she has compliled a "death list" of five people she would like to see before she dies. However, she sounds no worse for wear on the phone, so this action might be premature. Or, maybe we should all do it right now.

I am on my way across the country. Last evening in a small freeway town I had the single most bizarre restaurant experience in my life. I was drawn into the restaurant by the sign which said it was Basque food. I have had very good Basque food before, so I went in.

The restaurant was dated and drab, yet at the top of the specials list was steak and lobster for $64.95. The listings underneath were just as expensive. I finally worked my way down to baked lamb for $14,95.

First came half a loaf of bread with a big bowl of soup, complete with a full-sized ladel. The soup didn't have much flavor. It was chicken and rice. I ate too much of it. Then came a huge lettuce salad. Just lettuce. Nothing else. The lettuce was covered in sour cream. It was not very good. Then came the main meal, served family style.

A large platter containing four huge chunks of lamb, baked to black. A dish of potatoe au gratin, which was a whole baked potato covered in cheese sauce. Then, for good measure, a dish of rice, a dish of boiled green beans and, bizarrely, a dish of spaghetti with sauce! This was food enough for a family of four and I was alone. I ate one out of the four chunks of lamb and was full. And it was awful. Awful. So I, for some reason, asked the waitress for a box, but the stuff in it, paid and left.

I dumped the box in the first waste basket I saw.

If that was Basque food, it isn't the Basque food I remember. It was more like a medly of dishes from a school cafeteria in the early 1970s.